Monday, April 10, 2006

ISRAEL HAMMERS GAZA WITH 300 SHELLS A DAY

HAMAS ANNOUNCES END TO SUICIDE BOMBINGS AS TACTIC OF WARFrom the London Observer : "Hamas is to abandon its use of suicide bombers, who have killed almost 300 Israelis, in any future confrontations with Israel...

"The Islamic group, which leads the Palestinian Authority, says, however, that it may resort to other forms of violence if there is no progress towards Palestinian statehood.

"As Hamas toned down its rhetoric, Israel increased pressure on the Palestinians, particularly in Gaza. Two militants were killed in an airstrike near Gaza City yesterday and five men and a five-year-old boy were killed on Friday night."

Media reports state that more than 300 shells per day from Israeli tanks and mortar battalions are hitting vacant land, militant targets and civilians in the Northern Gaza region.

At the same time, Israel is choking the Palestinians economy by refusing to open a number of borders to allow the free flow of commodities such as flour and sugar. Farmers also complain that Israeli checkpoints are stopping them from getting their goods to market. Prices for basic commodities in Gaza have risen 200% over the last month.

Figures from the Israeli Army claim that since October 2000, Hamas was responsible for more than 51 suicide attacks resulting in the deaths of more than 270 Israelis.

During the same period, more than 5000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli tanks, missile strikes and gun fire.

While the Western media has portrayed Palestinians as supporting suicide bombers unanimously, most are and have always been opposed to such tactics, if only for the base reason that the indiscriminate killing of Israeli civilians portrays the Palestinians as the aggressors in the war and illegal occupation and not the Israelis.